


This Isn't How Our Story Ends

by lumosflies



Series: Asanoya Week 2020 Prompts [6]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asanoya Week 2020, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Smoking, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26019784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumosflies/pseuds/lumosflies
Summary: Eight years ago, Asahi pushed himself to move to Tokyo on his own to pursue fashion design, where he had no prior connections to help make a name for himself. It was the scariest decision of his life, but it helped him grow out of his shell exponentially.Now, he was back in Miyagi to visit some of his old teammates and watch their underclassmen play in the Olympics. He hadn’t let his nerves affect him this much since he was a teenager.
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke
Series: Asanoya Week 2020 Prompts [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881802
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55
Collections: Asanoya Week 2020





	This Isn't How Our Story Ends

**Author's Note:**

> Asanoya Week 2020 Day 6 Prompt: Hurt/Comfort
> 
> Title inspired by ["Hold Me Tight Or Don't"](https://youtu.be/jG1JY0rt2Os) by Fall Out Boy

Eight years ago, Asahi pushed himself to move to Tokyo on his own to pursue fashion design, where he had no prior connections to help make a name for himself. It was the scariest decision of his life, but it helped him grow out of his shell exponentially.

Now, he was back in Miyagi to visit some of his old teammates and watch their underclassmen play in the Olympics. He hadn’t let his nerves affect him this much since he was a teenager.

Asahi knew that he shouldn’t have been worried about seeing someone whose last meeting with him had been so emotionally charged that they barely spoke for the next year. They had since slowly rekindled their friendship for a second time, but it still hinged upon carefully chosen words.

 _It’s just one day_ , he tried to remind himself as he knocked on the Tanakas’ front door. He could hear muffled voices inside, but he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying until the door swung open without warning.

Asahi expected to see Tanaka or Kiyoko—maybe even Daichi or Suga since they had already arrived. He didn’t think he would have to face Nishinoya so suddenly.

“Oh, hi,” Asahi said, trying to hide the surprise in his voice.

“Hey Asahi,” Nishinoya responded in a neutral tone. “What’s that?”

He pointed to the white box wrapped with red string in Asahi’s hands.

“I brought some dessert for everyone.” Asahi said.

Nishinoya studied him for a moment, his eyes briefly glancing over the rest of Asahi’s tall frame before he stepped aside to let Asahi in. Asahi wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of Nishinoya’s scrutiny this soon in the day, but he kept his mouth shut as he walked inside.

“Hey, Asahi! I’ll be right with you!” Tanaka yelled from the living room as soon as Asahi stepped over the threshold.

He was holding the tv remote in his hand and pressing its buttons furiously as Daichi knelt behind the tv set.

“Daichi’s convinced that he can fix anything if he screws around with the wires enough,” Suga explained as he approached Asahi. “Let’s bring that into the kitchen. Kiyoko’s already in there with the gyoza we made.”

Asahi followed his friend into the kitchen, where Kiyoko was standing by the kitchen sink.

“Hey Kiyoko,” Asahi greeted her. “I picked up some pastries for everyone on the way here.”

“Thank you, you can put them down anywhere,” Kiyoko nodded before walking over to the oven. “It’s good to see you, Asahi.”

“Look at our big city boy, still being considerate of his friends,” Suga teased him on his way to open the microwave door.

“I haven’t changed that much,” Asahi shook his head as he set the box down. “And I told you to stop calling me city boy. You sound like Tanaka.”

“What are you guys saying about me?” Tanaka’s voice carried from the living room.

“Asahi said I sound like you when I call him a city boy!” Suga yelled back.

“That’s on him for moving to the city! All of our biggest rivals were from Tokyo!”

Kiyoko met Asahi’s eyes during the loud exchange and shared a smile with him.

“We haven’t had rivals for years,” Asahi chuckled. “I didn’t think moving away would be such a betrayal.”

“He just misses his friends,” Kiyoko explained. “Nishinoya only just returned to Japan a few weeks ago, and Ennoshita is always busy with work.”

“What about Narita and Kinoshita?”

“They still keep in touch, but they’re also quite busy these days.”

From his spot by the microwave, Suga let out a loud, dramatic sigh. “That seems to be the case with everyone now. Asahi hasn’t called me in ages.”

“Suga, we just talked on the phone last night.”

Suga clicked his tongue as he took the gyoza out of the microwave. He let out a quiet hiss as he set the hot container down on the counter.

“Yeah, but I had to call you. Before that, I didn’t even know if you were still alive.”

“I’m sorry,” Asahi sighed. “You’re right, I should have been better at keeping in touch.”

“Well that’s all in the past now,” Suga waved him off. “You’re here with us now, and we’re all going to have some of the beer Daichi and I brought.”

Asahi looked to Kiyoko for help, but she just shrugged and started taking glasses out of the cabinet above the sink.

“You don’t have to drink, of course,” she said. “We have soda and juice in the fridge as well.”

Farther down the hall, Asahi heard Tanaka and Nishinoya burst into laughter, followed by Daichi yelling something that made them laugh even harder.

“I think I’ll take that drink,” Asahi nodded.

The three of them poured drinks for themselves and the others. Once all the food was ready, Suga called the others into the kitchen to serve themselves. They couldn’t all fit around the kitchen table, so they moved into the living room, where the tv screen was filled with sportscasters analyzing the previous match.

“Thanks again for having us,” Asahi said as he sat down on the floor to the side of the coffee table.

“We missed you, buddy,” Tanaka grinned back at him from across the table. Daichi and Kiyoko sat on the couch between them while Suga joined Asahi on the floor and Nishinoya settled into the armchair behind Tanaka.

As they ate, reporters on the screen held their microphones out to a Brazilian player from the last match. Daichi turned to Nishinoya.

“Nishinoya, you were in Brazil last month, right? How was it?”

Nishinoya had his mouth full at the moment, so he just nodded and hummed around the food.

Nishinoya gulped and took a sip of his beer before he started talking. He told them about the new foods he fell in love with and the friendly neighborhood soccer teams who taught him how to play. Suga and Tanaka both encouraged him to tell them more. It was the most either man had heard from Nishinoya since his last return to Japan.

As Nishinoya dove into the finer details of picking up on the differences in Portuguese between Brazil and Portugal, Asahi caught himself staring at the way Nishinoya’s eyes lit up with joy at his memories of his most recent travel adventures. It reminded him of the way Nishinoya once looked at him before their most recent falling apart.

* * *

Just two days after he graduated from high school, Asahi found himself sitting on the curb outside of Sakanoshita Store with Noya. He hoped that bringing Noya to a relatively neutral area would help ease him into the bad news.

“You’re thinking too loud, Asahi,” Noya teased, waving his popsicle in front of Asahi’s face. “What’s going on?”

Asahi looked up from his barren popsicle stick, where the words “Better luck next time!” mocked him in faded ink.

“Oh, sorry,” Asahi said quietly. “I was just thinking about...about you and what you said last week.”

Noya’s playful smile faded.

“Asahi, I told you we can take it slow. As slow as you want!”

Asahi shook his head. “I’m not worried about that.”

“Then what’s up?” Nishinoya asked.

“I just don’t think it’d be a good idea for us to…” Asahi trailed off.

“Spit it out!"

Asahi sighed. "It's not a good idea for us to date."

“Why? You don’t like me anymore?”

“Noya, you know I love you,” Asahi sighed. “I just can’t go out with you.”

Noya studied Asahi's face for any signs of a poorly-timed joke. He frowned when he found no such thing.

“I don’t understand. If we still feel the same way we did when I confessed to you, then what’s the problem?”

Asahi set his popsicle stick down and turned so he could properly face Noya. He could already feel his skin burning under Noya’s stare, but he forced himself to meet Noya’s eyes.

“Noya, I’m going to Tokyo in a few days.”

“Okay?” Noya raised an eyebrow skeptically. “How long are you going away for?”

“No, I’m moving to Tokyo,” Asahi explained. “I got into a decent university with a really good design program.”

“I still don’t understand. It’s only an hour away by train, and we can still call and text,” Noya said.

“I’m just…” Asahi paused, mentally preparing himself for the hardest part. “I’m afraid we won’t work out if we try it that way, and I don’t want to risk losing you for good.”

“So you’re giving up already, and I don’t even get a say in this?” Noya asked incredulously. “What the hell, Asahi?”

“I can’t be the one holding you back,” Asahi tried to explain. “I’d just be a distraction from your last year of school and your last year with the team.”

Noya had heard enough. He rose to his feet, kicking a few stray pebbles across the street.

“That’s a lot of bullshit just to say you have commitment issues,” he grumbled.

Asahi looked up at Noya. He thought he had already seen Noya at his worst when they broke the mop in the storage closet, but seeing him now with angry tears swelling in his eyes made it clear to Asahi that Noya’s steady, quiet anger was infinitely worse than his outbursts.

“Noya, please try to understand,” Asahi pleaded as he stood up. “I still care about you.”

He reached out for Noya’s hand, but the shorter boy yanked it away just as quickly.

“Go fuck yourself, coward.”

* * *

“Hey Asahi, are you okay?”

Suga’s voice brought Asahi back to reality. He was in the present, Nishinoya was sitting right there across the room, and they weren’t fighting. They had barely made eye contact since Asahi arrived, but he could handle that.

Asahi nodded, then collected his empty plate and glass from the table.

“I’ll be right back. I’m just going to wash these,” he said as he stood up. “Is anyone else finished?”

“Asahi, you’re our guest,” Tanaka shook his head. “We’ll take care of it.”

“It’s no trouble at all. I don’t mind.”

The tv played so loudly throughout the house that Asahi didn’t notice someone following him into the kitchen until they cleared their throat. Asahi nearly dropped the plate in the sink.

“Asahi,” Daichi said from the kitchen entrance. “Can you be real with me for a minute?”

“Oh, hi Daichi,” Asahi greeted him as he started washing his plate. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to catch up with each other yet.”

Daichi shook his head. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Okay, what’s up?”

“You’re acting weird because of Nishinoya,” Daichi stated more than asked.

Asahi kept his eyes trained on the sponge in his hand as he moved on to washing his glass.

“No, of course not,” he said. “I just…”

He looked up from the sink and tried to find something else in the kitchen to focus on. When his gaze landed on the window sill, he knew he needed to step out for a few minutes.

“I have a bit of a headache and need some fresh air.”

He excused himself from the kitchen and told Daichi to let the others know he would be back in a few minutes. Once he was alone on the front steps of the house, he let out a deep sigh.

Daichi has a point. He was acting weird, but how else was he supposed to react to being around someone who was once his favorite person in the world and now barely acknowledged his presence.

Asahi reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and a lighter. He wasn’t proud of this habit, and he usually left the cigarettes at home to avoid even more misconceptions about him. However, he had a feeling he might have needed it today.

With one hand lighting the cigarette between his lips and the other cupped around it, Asahi let his eyes close for a moment as he inhaled.

He didn’t notice the sounds of the door opening behind him and someone sitting down beside him until he heard them speak.

“I didn’t know you smoked now. When did that start?”

Asahi opened his eyes to see Nishinoya staring at him with a confused expression.

“My last year of university was pretty stressful, and I guess I couldn’t quit after that,” Asahi admitted. “I don’t blame you for not knowing, though.”

Nishinoya’s brow furrowed. It didn’t surprise Asahi that he managed to choose the wrong words.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Asahi shrugged. “Nothing, we just haven’t exactly let in touch as much as the others.”

“Wow, I can't imagine why,” Nishinoya said as he rolled his eyes.

Asahi sighed and let the cigarette fall to the concrete below them, stomping it out beneath his shoe.

“I thought we were still friends. What good can come from bringing up closed wounds?”

“Well, maybe it never fucking closed in the first place,” Nishinoya scoffed. “You really haven’t changed at all, have you?”

“Are we fighting right now?” Asahi asked. “How did this turn into a fight? We were doing so well.”

Nishinoya stood up and walked back to the front door.

“Sure, we barely talk these days and you’re trying to fool yourself that we got actual closure!” he exclaimed. “Why do you keep doing that to yourself?”

Asahi knew he was going to regret this. Still, he stood up and turned to face Nishinoya. As they stared each other down, Asahi suddenly felt like he was an angry teenager again.

“You’re right. I’m a coward, and I’m still afraid of taking big risks that could lead to us losing each other completely. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

It took a moment for Asahi to realize that he was also raising his voice, but he continued. He was not going to back down this time.

“You think that I don’t get stressed out every time we talk? It’s selfish, but I just thought that any morsel of a civil conversation we could have was the best we could get after...well, after I ran away from you.”

Nishinoya looked shocked that Asahi was yelling now, but he still stood at his full height, crossing his arms and keeping his eyes on Asahi’s. Behind them, the front door opened just enough for Tanaka to stick his head outside.

“Hey, so quick update for everyone,” he tried to say in a casual tone. “You guys are loud as hell, and I’m not letting you in to watch the match until you cool down.”

Nishinoya turned to his friend. “What? Fine, I’ll just go home and you guys can all enjoy your party.”

“Yeah, I’m not thrilled about it either, but Suga already swiped both of your keys when you arrived,” Tanaka explained. “Anyways, have fun and play nice.”

The door closed behind them and Asahi stuck his hands into his pockets to search for his keys. When he found nothing besides his cigarettes, his lighter, and his phone, he let out a frustrated groan. When did Suga even get the chance to pick his pockets?

“Fine, we’re doing this,” Nishinoya said. “Have you ever considered that maybe I don’t like being awkward around you either? Or that I’ve been all around the world and I’ve met some amazing people, but somehow I’m still hung up on you?”

“We never even dated.”

“Because you thought you knew better! You just made all these decisions about our relationship, and I was fine going at your pace until you decided we couldn’t even try,” Nishinoya spat, his voice cracking as he fought back tears. “What, was I just not good enough for you to give me a chance with long-distance?”

As Asahi watched Nishinoya’s eyes begin to water, he took a step back. It was the same look on Nishinoya’s face when they last saw each other in person. They were having the same fight eight years later, Asahi realized. The only difference this time was that Asahi felt more ashamed of his actions.

“I’m...I didn’t…” he stammered, trying to find his voice.

Nishinoya wiped his face with the back of his hand, refusing to meet Asahi’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Asahi settled on saying. “I shouldn’t have assumed that I knew what was best for us—for you especially.”

Nishinoya crossed his arms again, but he stayed silent.

“I shouldn’t have made that decision without asking what you wanted,” Asahi continued. “It was inconsiderate of me, and I’m sorry.”

Finally, after what felt like years of uncomfortable silence (but was actually no longer than a minute), Nishinoya spoke up again. His voice was steadier, but Asahi had a feeling he was still holding back.

“You didn’t answer my question. That’s the one thing that’s been bothering me since you left. Did you think I wasn’t worth the risk when you rejected me?”

Asahi shook his head.

“No, Nishinoya. That’s not it at all,” he said quietly. “I was young and stupid, and…”

He let out a deep sigh. This was the part he had been hoping to avoid saying aloud, even to himself. In the past, he thought that verbalizing the thought into real words would hurt their relationship even more than he already had.

“Like I said, I was selfish for trying to keep you in my life in any way I could. I just thought back then that keeping you as a friend would increase those chances.”

“Asahi—”

“And for what it’s worth, I still think about you a lot, too.”

Nishinoya raised an eyebrow at him. “In a good way or a bad way?”

“In a ‘What could we have been if I didn’t mess it up before it had a chance to happen in the first place?’ way,” Asahi said.

“So...just to be clear,” Nishinoya started. “You’re apologizing and not trying to push me away this time?”

“I was so afraid of losing you and our friendship that I ended up pushing you away and losing you anyways because I was too afraid to let go.”

Nishinoya let his arms fall to his sides. His glare softened into a more sympathetic expression that put Asahi at ease.

“Well, shit, I didn’t think you’d be that real with me,” Nishinoya huffed in disbelief. “So, what do we do now?”

“We could go back inside and watch the match with our friends,” Asahi offered.

“I meant about us. What do we do about us?”

Asahi leaned against the side of the house. His hands slipped back into his pockets. He started to pull the lighter out of his pocket, but Nishinoya’s hand reached out to grab his arm. His hand was surprisingly warm, and Asahi tried not to think about how this was their first physical contact in years.

“Let’s go out next weekend, just the two of us,” Nishinoya said. “It doesn’t have to be a date. We can just catch up and see where it goes from there.”

Nishinoya’s lips pulled into a thin line and his unwavering stare met Asahi’s as he waited for an answer. Asahi wished he knew which answer would Nishinoya was hoping for.

“Okay,” Asahi nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that...if you’ll have me.”

For the first time that day, Nishinoya’s eyes softened and his lips spread into a genuine smile directed at Asahi.

“Just hearing that is enough.”

The front door swung open again, but Suga stuck his head out this time.

“Glad to see you talked it out,” he said with a cheeky grin. “Now get back in here. You just missed the first serve.”

Just as quickly as he appeared, he retreated into the house, leaving the door wide open. Asahi could hear the rest of their friends cheering from the living room.

“Come on, let’s go. No running away this time,” Nishinoya teased him. “We’ll never hear the end of it from Ryū if we miss any more.”

He moved behind Asahi to place his hands flat against the middle of Asahi’s back and push him inside.

“Think fast!” Suga called out as they walked into the living room.

Asahi didn’t have time to think when he saw his keychain flying through the air. He raised his arms in a cross to guard his face. He closed his eyes instinctively in anticipation, but the keys never hit him. As Asahi opened his eyes and lowered his arms, he saw Nishinioya standing before him—when had he gotten in front of Asahi?

Nishinoya was holding Asahi’s keys in his hand, twirling it around his finger as he rested his other hand on his hip in a triumphant stance.

“Glad to see you guys are back to normal,” Tanaka laughed.

Nishinoya turned back to look at Asahi, smiling again when their eyes met.

“Something tells me it’s gonna be different than before. Right, Asahi?”

If Asahi wasn’t blushing before they entered the room, he was almost certain that his cheeks had turned pink by now. If Suga’s smug grin was any indication, there was no chance the rest of the room missed this detail. Still, he managed to find his voice to answer Nishinoya.

“Yeah, something’s changed for the better.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> For this fic, I wanted to explore what asanoya would be like if they were each other's favorite "what ifs."


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